Automatic clutch mechanism.



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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1913- 1,183,584.

W/TNEESEE $4M- WM J. NIELD.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-10, 1913- 1,183,584;, Patented May 16, 1916.

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J. NIELD.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH MECHANISM. VAPPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1913.

1,1 83,584. Patented May16, 1916.

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J. NIELD.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. I913.

1 ,1 83,584, Patented May 16, 1916.

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JOSIAH NIEIJ), F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,T0

' W. 86 T. AVERY L'IlD., OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed November 10, 1913. Serial No. 800,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH NIELD, a subject of the King of England, andresident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic ClutchMechanism, of which the following is a description, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic clutch mechanismmore particularly adapted for use with automatic conveyers forintermittently conveying material such as coal from automatic scales toauto matic stokers or other receiving means.

In the ordinary use'of automatic scales and stokers the material isfirst passed through the scale and is then conveyed to the stokers orother places of disposition usually by spiral conveyers consisting of atube or trough having a spirally trending rotary member mounted therein.It has been found in use that when the conveyers were used for conveyingcoal intermittently that the continued rotation ofthe conveyer after thedischarge of the material had been retarded or checked, would tend topack the material to such an extent before it stopped as to preclude thepossibility of automatically starting again.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome thisobjectionable feature and provide a clutch mechanism which willautomatically stop when the material within the conveyer tube isretarded or checked to a predetermined extent and which willautomatically start again when the re tarding influence is reduced.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic clutchmechanism in which the working parts may be adjusted to respond to anydegree of retardation desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic clutchmechanism having means for positively locking the parts in inoperativepositions during the periods of rest.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic clutchmechanism of simple construction, which is strong and durable and iswell adapted for the purpose desired.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved autoall equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views: Figure 1 is a front view ofthe improved automatic clutch mechanism in connection with an automaticconveyer, parts being broken away to show interior construction; Fig. 2is a side view of a portion thereof taken at right angles to Fig. 1, apart being in section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of 0ne ofthe automatic clutches of the conveyer taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig.4 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig.5 is a similar view taken on line '55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional View taken on line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 1s atransverse sectional View taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a sideview of a modified form of clutch mechanism; Fig. 9 is a transversesectional view thereof taken on line 910 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is asimilar view with the parts in unclutched positions.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 12 indicates the discharge spoutof an auto matic weighing scale, 13 a receiving hopper and 14 a numberof conveyer tubes extending in different directions therefrom and whichconvey material from the receiving hopper to the lower conveyers 15connected thereto and extending beneath the outer ends of the conveyers14. The inner ends of the upper conveyers 14 are provided with inletopenings 16 to receive the material from the scale hopper and the outerends of said conveyers have discharge openings 17 extending above theopen receiving ends 18 of the lower conveyers 15. The said conveyers 15move the material to any receiving means (not shown) desired.

A conveyer 15 is connected directly to the receiving hopper 13 mediallybetween the inner ends of the ordinary conveyers 14 and below thehorizontal plane thereof so that material discharged from the scalehopper 12 and which does not enter the upper conveyers will fall'intothe lower conveyer 15 and be moved thereby. The material falling intothe upper conveyers is moved by the spiral members 19 positionedtherein.

As the different lower conveyers are of similar construction andoperation a description of one will be sufficient to clearly explain theinvention. The tube or trough 20 of each automatic conveyer is alsoprovided with spiral members 19 and the driving shaft 21 of this memberis journaled in and extends through one end of the tube 20 and carriesan automatic clutch mechanism 22 on its outer end portion. A frictiondisk 23 pinned to the shaft is positioned to be engaged by the innerface of a driving sprocket wheel 24: which is loosely j ournaled on theshaft. The sprocket wheel is provided with a detachable hub member 25which is bolted to one side of the wheel andextends over and covers thefriction disk 23. The inner face of this hub is provided with laterallyprojecting teeth 26 which are engaged by corresponding teeth 27projecting from the outer face of the reciprocal collar 28 which is alsoloosely mounted on the shaft. The outer face of the sprocket wheel isalso frictionally engaged by an adjustable friction ring 29 which isyieldingly held against the sprocket wheel by coiled springs 30, andthese springs surround pins 31 projecting from the ring and areinterposed between the ring and an adjustable plate 32 splined on theouter end of the shaft 21. The plate 32 is slidably splined on the shaftand is provided with openings 33 through which the pins 31 slidably eX-tend. The frictional engagement between the sprocket wheel 2-1 and thefrictional members 23 and 29 is adjusted by means of the nuts 3%threaded on the end of the shaft 21 and bearing against the plate 32.

The reciprocal collar 28 is slidably mounted and journaled on the shaft21 and slidably mounted upon the outer hub 35 of a supplemental sprocketwheel 36 journaled on the shaft 21. The sprocket 36 on its inner facebears endwise against a cam collar 37 fixedly mounted on the shaft andthis collar is provided with cam portions 37 extending inwardly andcircumferentially around the inner edge of the collar and diametricallyopposite each other on the shaft. The reciprocal collar 28 and thesupplemental sprocket 36 are locked rotatively together by blocks 38which project from the said sprocket and enter recesses 39 formed in theinner face of the reciprocal collar. This construction permits thecollar to reciprocate freely on the hub but binds the two parts togetherrotatively. Bolts 40 fixedly connected to the collar 28 extend therefromand loosely through openings -11 in the hub of the sprocket 36 in linesparallel to the shaft 21 and on opposite sides thereof. The openings 11are in part of suliicient size to receive coiled springs 42 whichsurround the bolts 40 and are interposed between the sprocket 36 and thecollar 28. These springs serve to normally force the collar outwardlyand the teeth 27 of the collar into engagement with the teeth 26 of thedetachable hub 25 and lock the col lar and the hub rotatively together.

The outer ends of the bolts 10 extend through a holding collar 43 andare provided with heads 41 which bear against the collar and connect theparts together. The holding collar is provided with anti-frictionrollers 45 which ride on the cam portions of the cam collar 37 and witha spring actuated bolt 4E6 which is adapted to engage the partly annularshoulder 47 of the holding sleeve 18. The holding sleeve 48 is fixedlymounted on and turns with the shaft 21 and the shoulder l7 extendsaround the periphery of said sleeve and its front edge 47 is beveled topermit the lower rounded end of the spring bolt to snap thereover. Thespace &9 between the ends of the shoulder 47 permits the spring bolt todisengage the shoulder when turned into register therewith. The parts ofthe mechanism are so spaced with relation to each other that when therollers pass off the cams the teeth of the reciprocal collar will engagethe teeth of the detachable hub and the spring bolt will extend just infront of'the beveled edge of the annular shoulder.

The spiral member 19 of the tube ll is mounted on a shaft 50 and thisshaft extends through the outer end of the tube and is provided with abeveled gear 51 which is in mesh with another bevel gear 52 mounted on acounter shaft 53. Thecounter shaft 53 extends at right angles to theshaft 50 and in a line parallel to the shaft 21 and has a sprocket wheeland chain connection 54 with the sprocket wheel 36 and is driventhereby. The counter shaft 53 may be extended as desired to rotate otherconveyers. The sprocket wheel 24 is driven from a source of power notshown.

In the operation of the clutch and assuming that the parts are in thepositions shown in Fig. 2, the driven sprocket is locked to the drivingsprocket wheel and will be driven thereby. Now if the material beingmoved in the lower conveyer is checked or retarded to an extent toovercome the frictional engagement of the driving sprocket with thefriction members the said sprocket wheel will turn on the shaft and theholding collar will ride upon the cams and move the teeth of thereciprocal collar out of engagement with the teethof the hub and alsosnap the spring bolt into engagement with the locking shoulder of theholding sleeve. In this position (shown in Fig. 2) the driven sprocketwill be disengaged and the upper conveyer will stop and the drivingsprocket wheel will continue to revolve on the driving shaft between thefrictional members. As the check or retarding influence is removed orlessened the frictional contact between the friction members -and thedriving sprocket will cause the driving shaft to rotate and in rotatingthe cams will disengage the rollers of the holding collar and when thespace of the holding sleeve turns into register with the spring bolt theholding collar will be moved to normal position withthe teeth of thedetachable hub and the reciprocal collar engaging each other and theupper conveyers connected to the driven shaft will be positively drivenin the manner before described as well as the lower conveyers which areconnected directly to the drive shaft' In the form shown in Figs. 8', 9and 10 the manner of automatically locking the driven sprocket to thedriving sprocket has been modified and'Willnow be explained.

The hub 25 of the driving sprocket 24 is provided with a projectingportion having ratchet teeth 55 formed on its periphery which areengaged by a pawl 56 carried by the driven sprocket wheel 36. This pawlis fixedly connected to a short rock shaft 57 which extends through thehub of the sprocket 36 and on its opposite end carries a trip lever 58.One end 59 of the lever is positioned in the path of movement of a camcollar 60 mounted on and turning with the shaft, and the other end 61 ofthe lever has a yielding connection, by means of a spring 62, with aplate 63 fastened to and projecting radially from the hub of the drivensprocket 36. The spring serves to normally hold the lever bearingagainst the face of the cam and the pawl in engagement with the ratchetteeth. The spring connected end of the lever is provided with alaterally projecting pin portion 64 which is engaged by a locking arm 65when the pawl is swung out of engagement with the ratchet teeth by theengagement of the opposite end of the lever with the cam. The lockingarm is pivoted to the plate and is provided with a notch or recess 66into which the pin portion 64 slides when the cam swings the pawl out ofengagement with the ratchet teeth and this notched portion holds thepawl in disengaged position until the arm is swung outwardly by the cam,the arm being provided with an extension 65 which swings into the pathof movement of the cam when the pin portion enters the notch. A coiledcompressive spring 66 connected to the arm and to the plate serves toyieldingly hold the inner curved edge of the arm being against the pinportion of the lever. In the operation of this modified portion of theautomatic clutch the retardation of the shaft will cause the lever toride up the highest part of the cam and disengage the pawl from theratchet teeth and in this position the lever will be locked to the armin its upper position and the upper conveyer driven by the drivensprocket wheel will stop. Now as soon as the retarding infiuence isremoved from the driving shaft the shaft .will revolve and the cammountis well adapted to perform the function described.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An automatic clutch mechanism, comprising a conveyer shaft, a drivingmember frictionally connected thereto, a driven member mounted on theshaft and having a driving connection with the driving member, and meansfor disengaging the connection between the two members when the rotationof the shaft is retarded to a predetermined extent.

2. An automatic clutch mechanism, comprising a conveyer shaft, a drivingwheel mounted thereon and having a frictional driving connectiontherewith, a driven wheel mounted on the shaft and releasably androtatively connected to the driving wheel, and means for disengaging theconnection between the two wheels when the rotation of the shaft isretarded to a predetermined extent.

3. An automatic clutch mechanism, comprising a conveyer shaft, a drivingwheel frictionally connected thereto, a driven wheel mounted on theshaft and having a positive driving connection with the driving wheel,and means for disengaging the connection between the two wheels when therotation of the shaft is retarded to a predetermined extent and to causethe engagement of said driving connection when the retardation isreduced.

4. An automatic clutch mechanism, comprising a conveyer shaft, a drivingwheel journaled on the shaft, friction members mounted on the shaft andengaging the driving wheel to frictionally connect the Wheel to theshaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, means for positivelylocking the two wheels rotatively together, and means for disengagingthe locking connection and for locking the parts in disengaged positionswhile the rotation of the shaft is retarded to a predetermined extent.

5. An automatic clutch mechanism, comprising a conveyer shaft, a drivingwheel journaled on the shaft, friction members mounted on the shaft andengaging the driving wheel to frictionally connect the wheel to theshaft, a driven wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, a reciprocal membercarried by the driven wheel and having means for positively engaging thedriving wheel, a cam member mounted on the shaft for controlling themovement of the I reciprocal member, and means for positively 7 lockingthe reciprocal member in its discopies of this patent may bl obtainedfor five cent: each, by addressing the its periphery, a holding collarcarried by the reciprocal member and engaging the cam and having ayielding portion which engages the shoulder of the holding sleeve, andmeans for yieldingly holding the reciprocal member in a position so thatits teeth will engage the teeth of the driving Wheel While the shaft isbeing rotated by the driving Wheel.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOSIAH NIELD. Witnesses:

M. HAND,

G. SIMMERLING.

Commllsloner of Iatens,

Washington, D. 0."

